Case Number 25425: Small Claims Court

Shaman Healer Sage

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All Rise...

Judge Dawn Hunt's only hope of becoming a shaman, healer, or sage is through a MMORPG.

The Charge

A journey exploring the life of Dr. Alberto Villoldo, who has studied the
legendary Inka and Q'Ero shamans.

The Case

Shaman Healer Sage is the story of Alberto Villoldo, a Cuban-born
doctor who chose to travel around the globe and seek out the ways of the
shamans, traditional healers found in cultures throughout the world. He
dedicated over fifty years to studying the practices of the healers in the
Americas. This is a slice of life portrait based on his book of the same
name.

The film is about as close to a textbook definition of a documentary as you
will find. There is no urging the viewer to seek out more information, no
suggestions to follow, simply a man telling the story of his life.

For those who read Dr. Villoldo's book, Shaman Healer Sage provides a
chance to fully round out the existing mental profile of the doctor. Dr.
Villoldo is a very engaging interview subject and this documentary may very well
cause some to seek out his book in order to learn more.

I would only urge caution for those who are searching out a deeper history
of the shamans, insights into how their healing methods are employed, or how one
would become a shaman. Shaman Healer Sage is only about Dr. Villoldo, and
is not specifically a step-by-step guide to becoming a shaman. Nor is it a
history of the shamans or a medical workshop video. Those looking to gain a
deeper understanding of anything besides Dr. Villoldo himself would do well to
search elsewhere.

Although there were no technical issues with either the video stream or the
audio track, both could have definitely been enhanced in order to convey a more
cinematic feel. And while that normally is not something I search out in a
straight up documentary Shaman Healer Sage was shot in some of the most
remote and beautiful locations, and though the focus is Dr. Villoldo, I felt the
filmmakers were remiss in not going the extra mile to present everything shot in
its best light.

The special feature runs almost as long as the documentary itself, and is a
more in-depth look at the nine chakras discussed, along with detailed example of
some of the exercises Dr. Villoldo demonstrated as well.

Shaman Healer Sage is very quick viewing, just over an hour. As such,
trying to cram an entire life into such a short period of time means most of the
topics receive only a surface treatment. Dr. Villoldo has led a truly
interesting life and while this documentary left me wanting to know more it was
nonetheless worth watching. If you have already read his book, or you're
interested in a brief overview of the shamans, Shaman Healer Sage is an
easy recommendation.